Steering Dampner

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Hello All,

I really appreciate everyone on the site. We have so many good people here.  Does anyone know who might be selling a steering damper that will fit a 1930 Series A.  I remember years ago someone selling them on this site. I have been searching recently and can’t find the info.  Any help appreciated.  Thank you so much!! Sincerely,  Andrew Fuller

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I have used steering dampers on two cars and stopped the wobblies. I got simple units intended for older GM 4wd pickups and Jeeps. Fab up simple parts to clamp one end to the steering cross rod and the other to the front axle, arranged so there is no interference. Steer the wheels to straight ahead, mount the damper half extended, then turn the steering lock to lock and make sure the steering hits the stops before the damper reaches end of travel, right and left.

That said: if you have “death wobble” you should check your steering thoroughly for worn or loose parts and make repairs. Don’t take chances with an unsafe car, and risk hurting others or yourself and your loved ones. Make sure your tires aren’t bad; we know we have run some mighty old tires before we knew better. Wobblies can be caused by steering alignment problems; in the case of our cars, check front caster and toe-in.I seem to recall front caster for early 1930s is about 1 3/4 degrees. I have been advised by people much more knowledgeable than I, that spring sag will change this and there are metal wedges available in different degrees that are placed between the spring and axle to correct this. When this is corrected and there are no worn parts, bad tires, etc, death wobble is not a problem. I am experimenting with this now to see if I can get my cars right. I am buying my “caster wedges”  2 inches wide and 2 degrees, 3 degrees, etc.

 

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Sorry I omitted this: 1 3/4,degrees positive caster.
to add caster with wedges the thick end of the wedge is to the rear, between the spring and axle.

I repeat: I am no expert and I gladly yield to those more knowledgeable and experienced!

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

When I had my ’31 conv. coupe, I had a vibration that when incurred, required pulling over and starting off from scratch.  A friend of mine that owned a large truck repair shop invited me to bring the car in.  A young, bright technician, familiar with straight axles adjusted the front end so the problem was solved.   Many of these cars front ends have been screwed around with so bad that they need someone very familiar with that type of front end to correct it

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I would recommend double checking the springs that are part of the front left spring hanger assembly located inside the frame. They are part of the system to reduce shimmy tendencies. On my 35 mine was broken due to corrosion and I replaced it.

That system gave some give to the otherwise fixed front spring hanger bearing position. Going over bumps with the earlier fixed hanger puts an input into the steering angle when the springs flex up and down because the axle moves in a very slight arc and that does not match the arc of the steering arm attached to it.  Shimmy became a problem as the tires in the 20’s moved toward “balloon” lower pressure wider tires.

The “fix” as described in Packard lore was the observation that a particular 1928 car that was much less prone to shimmy on the proving grounds was found to have a loose shackle on the steering side. Packard studied the geometry and developed the spring loaded “kick” shackle that replaced the fixed hanger on the front springs rear hanger. Packard placed the fixed hangers on the rear and the swinging shackle on the front, opposite of Pierce. Mounting the hanger/kick shackle on the rear instead of the front gets a better match to the fore and aft movement of the axle with the steering arm as the axle moves up and down with bumps, but puts an input into the steering making the car want to turn when applying brakes. Packard compensated for this by making the left and right front brakes have different braking force and slightly different brake shoe lining widths. Jesse Vincent published an interesting (to me) SAE report on the development.

I have wondered whether Pierce adopting a kick shackle on the front instead of the back was to avoid the different braking force issue, or to avoid Packards patents.

 

 

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Hi Randy, Tony and Jim,

Thank you for your input. Wow. Lots of good things to look over.  My friend did notice this summer that the front left springs looked very flat. No real spring to it.   Thank you all again for all your input.  I truly do appreciate it.  Sincerely,  Andrew Fuller

P.S. also thanks to all other members that have contributed=)

[Author]

Posts